Money Bag Dumplings (Chinese Lucky Money Bags – Fried or Steamed)
These Chinese money bag dumplings are shaped like small purses and traditionally served during Lunar New Year to symbolise wealth and prosperity. Filled with pork and prawn, they can be steamed for a soft dim sum-style finish or deep fried until golden and crisp.
Servings: 25 dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 spring onions
- 200 g pork mince
- 100 g prawn meat minced
- 4 whole water chestnuts OR 12 slices chopped
- ½ c chives chopped
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon corn flour
- 25-30 square or round wonton skins
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Take spring onions and cut off the green portion. Slice this part thinly, lengthwise, about two millimetres thick. You will use these to 'tie' your money bags.
- In a bowl combine pork mince, minced prawn, water chestnuts, chives, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper and corn flour. Use chopsticks to stir the meat in one direction until it looks sticky.
- Place about one heaped teaspoon of filling into the middle of your wonton skin. Gather the edges together in the centre, pressing to seal tightly.
- Take a spring onion 'string' and tie around the money bag. Trim off any excess. Repeat with remaining filling and wonton skins.
Deep fry:
- Heat vegetable oil in a pot to around 180ºC. Once it has come to temperature deep fry money bags, a few at a time, until they are a golden brown colour.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining dumplings.
Steam:
- Add money bag dumplings to a bamboo basket lined with baking paper. Steam over a pan of simmering water for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
Notes
- Spring onion is decorative and you can substitute with coriander stems or pandan leaves.
- Freeze moneybag dumplings uncooked, and then cook from frozen with extra time.